Faith Among the Ashes
by NuthinButHuman
Summary: WW2 Fem!L/Light Would you betray your country for your ideals? Would you betray a love for ambition? Would you sell your body and your soul just to survive? These were the questions guerilla leader L posed to Commander Raito, with a demand for his answers
1. Chapter 1

**Well, this is NuthinButHuman with another atrocity of a fanfic. There are a fair lot of warnings here, including torture, rape, and genderswitch. This is a fanfic with a historical setting, World War II Philippines. I'm trying my hand out at writing historical fiction, and since the fanfiction world was the best place to start, seeing as I have no OCs yet, I decided to yet again, meddle in the ever so steamy pairing of Light and L. :D**

**This fic has genderswitch because I really wanted to explore the skills needed by a woman to survive in a war, especially a war like WWII. This fic will contain disturbing issues such as the abuse of the Comfort Women – women and girls as young as 12 to 15 years old forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military. Also, I'll try my best to explore my country's past. What was it like to live in so much danger and fear, but still manage to survive? What made the guerilla fighters never give up hope, though it seemed God had abandoned them? After a war, what next? Also, I'd like to try and explore how Light and L will behave in such a different context. Light, an extremely idealistic young boy as a soldier pressed unwillingly into military service and L as a woman trying to survive first in a guerilla society, then in a comfort station.**

**I can't guarantee this will be perfect, but for the sake of perfecting my craft and gaining motivation to read my history book, I will do my best.**

**See you at peace.**

**PS. I'll switch to an M rating later on.**

**WARNINGS: Genderswitch, torture, rape, likely OOC, sensitive issues**

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**PROLOGUE**

"Where is she?"

The cold voice cut through Raito's snarled thoughts, as the Japanese soldiers stopped beating him so he could reply. The general yanked his head up by the hair, exposing his bloodied nose and mouth and bruised cheeks and eyes.

The general had to admit, the boy was tough. Though he hadn't been fed in over a week, and had been beaten senseless for three days straight, he still wasn't giving in.

"If you don't tell us where L is currently hiding, you know what we'll do to you, Kira,"

The boy – no, man. Soichiro always did have a hard time seeing his Raito as a soldier and not as his son. The young man kept his eyes steady on Soichiro as he held his katana to Raito's throat.

His eyes were ablaze, his broken mouth twisted into a maniacal grin. Suddenly he hissed.

"Do what you have to. I _don't care_."

Soichiro's jaw clenched, and he signaled to Mogi. The burly man struck Raito hard on the side of the head. Soichiro let his son breathe for a few seconds, then had Matsuda yank his head up so he could face him again.

"What did you tell her?" Soichiro all but hissed.

Raito laughed, not hiding his scorn for his father's anger. "Only what she and the guerillas needed to know, Otou-san."

Soichiro grabbed Raito around the neck, compressing. His eyes were burning with fury. "How _dare _you betray the Japanese Empire for a _whore_?"

Raito jerked away, breathing hard. "_You're the whores._ You invade the country of a people who have done you no harm and expect their loyalty. You take their homes, their lives, their money, their food, and their women. You slaughter the innocent like livestock." Raito broke off, breathing hard. "But this I swear: You will not kill again, you will not rape again. The war is over, Soichiro. Hitler's lost, Mussolini is dead. The Allies are invading. We're going to lose this war, general. But you know what? _I don't care._ I don't care if we lose, I don't care if I die. I'm finished with this existence."

Soichiro was pale with fury. Unhesitating, he took out his gun. Raito regarded him calmly. Soichiro pointed the pistol in the middle of the traitor, no longer his son's forehead.

And then, there were shouts outside the tiny room in the garrison that served as Raito's torture-chamber, and gunshots. Soichiro's hand on the trigger slackened, and suddenly, the door of the room burst open and a blonde boy with a scarred face was firing his gun at them. Mogi was shot in the head, Matsuda fell screaming. And then a blur of black and olive green kicked the gun from Soichiro's hand slammed his head on the wall, knocking him out.

And cool hands were untying the ropes burning Raito's wrists and a soft voice was murmuring words he couldn't comprehend but hung on to. His blurred and hazy vision made out a young woman with black hair, pale skin, and large, dark eyes cradling him. L's fingertips were brushing his hair back to see the extent of damage done to his face and probing his body for injuries. Her hands were gentle, and Raito made out that she was saying, over and over again _Stay with us, Light, please. Stay with us_ and Raito had to fight to keep black unconsciousness at bay.

L put her lips close to his ear and whispered the sweetest thing he'd ever heard. "I've had it. A little girl. She looks like you."

Raito's lips curled slightly upwards, before he felt the sharp sting of a needle pumping morphine into his system. With a hand whose finger weren't broken to splinters, he reached up to cup L's

face with his palm. L gripped his hand and whisper-pleaded.

"Please don't leave me."

Those were the last things Raito heard before slipping into sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything affiliated with Death Note. This applies to every chapter, I'm sure.**

**CHAPTER 2: Abduction**

Philippines, 1943

_Mga Hapon! Papunta na dito ang mga Hapon! _The Japanese are coming! The man on horseback was already bellowing as he rode into the tinymunicipalityof Sta. Isabella. He was pouring sweat, and the skin on his face and exposed arms were burnt badly by the sun. He had obviously been riding hard all day.

Sixteen year-old Rita de la Fuentes immediately stopped what she was doing - digging for root crops to feed her family – darted inside her family's home, and bolted the door. Her mother was holding her little brother close, singing a lullaby to soothe him, her older sister was standing in the middle of their living room, and her father had a gun at the ready. At a signal from her father, her older sister grabbed Rita's arm and shoved her into a hiding-place her father made – just a hole in the ground right beneath their house, covered by bamboo flooring. There was no time for the other girl to get in. She realigned the bamboo slats and hid in the next room, locking the door.

Fear was squeezing Rita's heart. The Japanese had never bothered much with her little town, only stopping by for supplies for an outpost. When her best friend, Maria, had suddenly disappeared earlier that year, Rita had learned not to show herself to any of the Japanese or wander off on her own like she often did before. The rider, Manong Josefo, was a farmer in a neighboring village and the one who usually relayed to them what was happening around the countryside. If the Japanese were moving so quickly, it meant something bad was about to happen.

She heard the insistent banging on the door, and her father opening it. She heard voices, her father's, calm and quiet, the soldier's, harsh and angry. The soldier seemed to be demanding something, but she couldn't understand because of his accent. Suddenly, he shouted "Enough of this!" Then his voice lowered. "Tell us where the girls are, and we will leave."

Rita's hand was pressed hard against her mouth, trying not to keep a sound. Terror was pounding in her ears, painfully constricting her heart. Suddenly, she heard gunshots, and her mother's and her brother's screams. They were immediately cut off. Through a veil of shock, she heard the soldiers kick open the door to the bedroom, and her sister screaming and crying as they dragged her away.

Rita didn't move from her position for hours, not until she heard the Japanese army trucks drive away, not until the feeling returned to her body. With shaking fingers and closed eyes, she opened the hatch and climbed out of her hiding place. She forced her eyes open, and a scream of horror, anguish, and grief tore from her throat.

The room was covered in blood. Her father lay on his back, bullet wounds peppering his body. In the farthest corner of the living room lay her mother and her brother. Her older sister was gone.

Then she was on her knees, crying, sobbing pulling her hair and screaming. She didn't even notice when Mang Josefo came in and put his arm around her.

**Ok, so no L and Light interaction. But this is a more or less typical abduction scene that occurred during the war. I based it off survivor accounts I've read during WW2. Don't worry, this story won't be OC-centric. Neither will Rita be a Mary-Sue. But Rita de la Fuentes will have a large supporting role in the main storyline. This story won't just be about L and Light, though they will be the main characters. Two opposing armies don't make a war. Civilians get caught in the mess, though they've done nothing wrong. Rita and her family is one such casualty. I didn't want to focus just on one relationship in this story, but on a country torn as a whole. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Water of Compassion**

**Disclaimer: I own Death Note in my dreams. XD**

**En route from Bataan to Capas, Tarlac. April 1942**

Raito was not usually one to feel much pity or empathy, or even admiration. But he had to admit that the men they forced to march for days with no food, rest, or water were in a pathetic position. Bone-weary, starved, and disease-ridden, and forced to walk in the murderous heat, the USAFFE forces looked ready to drop. But they trudged on, through the indiscriminate shootings, the throat-slittings, the beatings, the cruelty the Japanese liberally dished out. Raito sighed. Not like they could, anyway. If the Filipino and American soldiers showed any sign of weakness, they would be executed promptly.

The treatment handed to them was probably because of the trouble they had caused the Japanese military. They'd expected the Philippines to fall within fifty days of invasion and easily make their way to Indonesia. Instead, it had taken them more than three months to beat out the forces in the military base of Bataan, and Corregidor was still standing. Those Filipinos were a tough lot, he had to admit.

There was a soldier ahead of him, whom he'd been watching for some time. He was obviously an American, though Raito couldn't see his face. For one, he was taller than most of his Filipino companions, and his skin was unnaturally pale. (Rather like a corpse, Raito thought.) His walking was slightly unsteady, but the burly brown-skinned soldier next to him occasionally slowed his pace so he could catch up. Suddenly, he stumbled and tripped. The soldier beside him attempted to help him up, but stiffened and stayed put when he saw Raito approaching. He didn't dare help. If the Japanese caught him supporting a fellow USAFFE, they would kill him.

Raito stopped a few inches away from the American and nudged him with the butt of his rifle. "Get up," he ordered. The young man stirred, but didn't move from where he'd fallen.

"_Gago! Di mo ba nakikita na ginagawa na niya lahat?" _Fool! Can't you see he's doing all he can? The Filipino soldier snapped at Raito in Tagalog. Raito hit him sharply on the head with his rifle.

"I would show more respect if I were you. You would be dead by now if you'd said that to someone else," Raito said quietly. "Return to your position. I'll take care of this,"

The Filipino looked ready to attack, but the American croaked in a hoarse voice. "Just go, Enrique. I'll be fine."

The Filipino's shoulders slumped. There really was no help for it. He realigned with the other marchers, but not without throwing a last, agonized glance at the both of them.

Raito watched the Filipino soldier go for a moment before turning his eyes on the American before him. He'd managed to right himself up to a sitting position, but looked too exhausted to walk. Now that Raito could see his face, he could see that the young man had unusually delicate features. A tall nose, strong cheekbones, thin lips, and large black eyes. He was looking at him directly and defiantly. Raito realized he was staring, and averted his eyes. "Can you walk?" he asked.

"Do I look like I can?" The American's voice was soft and mocking, and Raito resisted the urge to bayonet him right then and there.

"Well, you can't go on to Camp O'Donnell if you can't," he said flatly. "Come on, let me help you up." He made for the American's arm.

The American stiffened, and jerked his arm away. "What for, so you can behead me?" he hissed. "You Japs do it often enough."

Raito rolled his eyes. "I'm not like the others," he said stiffly. "I don't kill for fun. I'm just saying that if you're going to die, you might as well die in peace and not get trampled. So come on."

Unwillingly, the American held his arm out and Raito pulled him up. He was able to stand, but suddenly swayed and staggered. Raito held up an arm to brace him, brushed against his chest, and felt something…odd.

_No way… _Raito felt his eyes widen of their own accord and stared at the young soldier beside him. She was shaking with the effort of staying upright, but her face was turned to his.

_That explains a lot…_

Her dark eyes were on his, challenging. Wordlessly, Raito led her away from the ranks and took her to the wooded area beside the road. She struggled against him, and he sighed in irritation.

"Will you relax? I'm not going to rape you. But the others will, if they find out what I know, so you'd better not do anything stupid."

"Your word is good for nothing," she hissed. "If I remember correctly, when we surrendered in Bataan, the Japanese said they weren't barbarians. Well, obviously we were wrong to trust your kind. So tell me, how can I trust your word?"

Raito was silent. He set her down under a tree, hidden from the view of the soldiers, crouched beside her, and took out his water canteen. He unscrewed the cap, and after a moment's hesitation, offered it to her. He looked at her steadily. "I'm not like the others," he repeated.

She stared at him, then the canteen. God knew what he must've put in it, but she couldn't help it she was so thirsty. She took the canteen from him and slurped greedily. Her hands shook and he had to support the bottle as she drank.

When he figured that she'd drunk more than enough than was good for her, Raito took the water canteen from her.

"I think that's enough," he muttered. He straightened up and looked down at her. "Chances are, you're going to die anyway. So I'm not going to shoot or stab you. But I still have to take a precaution." He unslung his rifle, pointed it behind the girl and met her frightened eyes. "It's not you I'm going to shoot." He pulled the trigger.

The sharp crack of the rifle nearly deafened the young woman. She rubbed her ears and took a deep breath, hiding how frightened she'd been. The next time she raised her eyes to his, they were calm. "I believe a 'Thank you' is in order," she murmured.

Raito shifted uncomfortably. "Well… you're welcome," He turned his back and started to leave.

"Will I ever see you again?"

He stopped in his tracks. Then, without turning around, he answered wryly. "In all likelihood, no. You're probably going to die here, and I'll probably follow soon enough."

He heard her chuckle, and turned around. She had an idiotic grin on her face, and her dark eyes were glittering. "One never knows."

Raito paused, and shrugged. "Maybe," he said. He began walking away as fast as he could.

"I'll be seeing you," he heard her call out softly.

Raito didn't answer. He just kept walking until he was out of the woods and where he had to belong.

**I had such a lot of trouble with this chapter. The timeline confused me, and I couldn't decide whose point of view to use. Finally, I decided to on two alternate timelines, with alternating points of view. There will be at least four major characters in this fanfic: L, Light, Rita, and an as of yet indefinite, unnamed male OC.**

**If you get confused reading it, the date on the top of the chapter should clear stuff up. ******** Have no worry. When I finish this I'll do some major editing, and I should be able to straighten plenty of issues up. **

**Raito was probably behaving pretty out of character for letting an enemy soldier take her chances instead of killing her directly, but since the soldier in question was a woman, likely he thought she wouldn't be strong enough to make it, not to mention she was starved and exhausted. And anyways, this is more or less pre-Kira Raito I'm writing about, so he still has something of a conscience.**

**And, oh yes, it's the Bataan Death March I wrote about. Sorry if it wasn't so accurate, my history book didn't give too many details on that part of the Japanese Occupation. Most of the description I wrote came from Wikipedia. Adding it here will make it too long, so if you like, just check it out there. :D **


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